Where'd You Get Those Peepers?

Sanctuary

Alchemy Yarns
70% wool, 30% silk
Gauge: 6 stitches = 1" on US needle size:5
50 gr = 125 yds
My Color: 08c Sierra
My Source: The Knit Stop, Indianapolis, IN
Retail price: $29.40
Tilli Thomas Eyeglass Case

I guess I should have had some eyeglasses on while I was knitting this, because the yarn was a bit smaller than the recommended Tilli Thoms Simply Heaven, thus, my case looks a little puny. But at least you get to see what the pretty Alchemy yarn looks like. Like everything else Alchemy I've used, this stuff was great. It feels like heaven while you're knitting it, and continues to do so as a fabric. There are many, many colors to choose from, so don't let the brown get you down.

Loopy: Who Knew?

Above: Before felting 9 1/2" x 5 3/4"
Below: After felting 6 3/4" x 3 1/2"

Loopy
Prism Yarns
74% rayon, 26% wool
2 oz, 58 yds
Gauge 12 sts = 4" on US # 11 needle before felting

From the Prism Yarns website: "Loopy is a great new yarn consisting of a wool core surrounded by rayon boucle. The wool is dyed one solid color, then the rayon is dyed in multi-colors. While it makes a very nice fabric just knitted, once it is felted the real magic happens! The wool core shrinks considerably, forming a nice dense felt, and the rayon loops are contracted and captured, obscuring the individual rows and stitches. The over-all feel is that of Persian Lamb. Try this on your favorite felted bag pattern--you'll love it."

My Color: Peacock
My Source: The Knit Stop, Indianapolis, IN
Retail price: $15.75

I didn't even know this stuff felted till I started writing this review and checked out the Prism Yarns website. I chose the yarn because it is so beautiful. I wanted it while it was still in the box at the yarn shop. It was great to knit with, and makes a very quick fabric on size 11's. It felted very quickly in my front loader with a tennis ball smacking it around. As you can see, it shrinks considerably, but the beauty of it is, if you knit a bag with this, you only need the one yarn, and voila! You have a beautiful purse when you're done felting.

"Honey, pull the tractor over by that goat yonder. I feel like spinning." (or whatever the Mongolian translation would be)

Handspun Cashmere

Jade Sapphire

100% Mongolian Cashmere

Gauge: 4¾ stitches/inch on size 8 US needles
50 gr = 120 yds

Colors: natural colors

My source: The Knit Stop, Indianapolis, IN

Retail price: $39.00

Well, it looks like they pulled the goat over, plucked his hair and commenced to spinning. However, it feels like Heaven on earth! It is SO soft I'd like to have lingerie made from it! It definitely looks handspun, with variations in thickness, but there is no doubt about it, this is cashmere. Umm, umm, ummmh!

"G'day, Mate!" Meets "Hola, Senorita!"

La Boheme

Fiesta Yarns

A 2-strand yarn—one of 100% brushed kid mohair, the other 100% rayon boucle

165 yards per 4 oz. skein

4.5 stitches x 5.5 rows = 1 inch on US #9 needles.

My Color: Australia

My Source: The Knit Stop, Indianapolis, IN

Pattern: Drops shoulder piece with crochet edges

I was challenged by a friend to make this yarn look good, so I did my best. You be the judge.

And the Emmy Goes to...

Trendsetter Yarns

for Emmy

50% Polyamid, 50% Poly

50 gr = - +/- 65 yards

Gauge: 3sts = 1" on US #13 needles

My color: 12

My source: The Knit Stop, Indianapolis, IN

Retail price: $16.00

If you need a little bling in your life, this might be just the same. Shown here crocheted in a Granny Square pattern, it is equally sparkly knitted in openwork. Just the thing for a glitzy party.

Way, Way Down Yonder in the Land of Cotton

Cotton Stria

Manos del Uruguay

100% Peruvian Cotton. Hand dyed and hand spun.

50 gr = 116 yards

Gauge: 18-20 sts to 4" on size US 4-6 needles

My Color: 202

My Source: The Knit Stop, Indianapolis, IN
Retail Price: $8.00

Another cotton for the girl who hates cotton? Let's just say I might be coming around. I enjoyed working with this one, and liked how the fabric turned out. It doesn't hurt that it was in one of my favorite colors, of course.

Judi, Judi, Judi

1/2" Rayon Ribbon

Judi and Co. Yarns and Ribbons

100% Rayon

Yardage: 100 yds (91 m)

Suggested Needle Size: US 17 (12.75 mm)

My Color: Black Orchid

My Source: The Knit Stop, Indianapolis, IN

Retail price: $42.00

This ribbon is so gorgeous! The color variation is beautiful, and I had a great time crocheting this pretty little scarf I found in The New Granny Square. To me, this stuff is as pretty as some of the silk ribbons I've seen, but at a much friendlier price point.

A Geranium By Any Other Name...

Geranium

Needful Yarns

50% Linen, 30% Acrylic, 20% Viscose

50g = 100 yds.

Gauge: 11 sts per 4 in. on needle size 10.5 U.S. (7mm)

My Color: 6051

My Source: The Knit Stop, Indianapolis, IN

Retail price: $5.99


The patterns (Needful book 304) for this yarn are really cute. It's too bad I don't like the yarn itself. It has all these random strands of what looks like colored grass or straw, but which I'm sure is linen, and they stick out at strange angles. It is not my favorite, by far.

Irish Mist

Maggi's Mist Slub

Maggi Knits

100% Viscose

Gauge: : 4.5 Sts per inch on US Needle Size 8

50g = 88 yds

My Color: 13

My Source: The Knit Stop, Indianapolis, IN

Retail Price: $10.50

Pattern: Popcorn Square, The New Granny Square

This was a fun yarn to use and an equally fun pattern to crochet it in. I like the various colors, and I can see a gorgeous shawl made from it. It would also looke good as a carry along with something else.

Irish Linens

Maggi's Multi Linen

Maggi Knits

Fiber Content: 52% Cotton, 48% Linen

Gauge: 5.5 Sts per in. on US Needle Size 6

50g = 126 yds

My Color: 103 Deep

My Source: The Knit Stop, Indianapolis, IN

Retail price: $9.65

This was fun to use. It is several strands of beautifully colored linen and cotton, which is nice and soft. It looks great crocheted up in this little pattern from The New Granny Square. That's a great book, too. Definitely worth checking out.

Dia-ing to Knit

Dialent
Diakeito Yarn by Dancing Fibers
40% Acrylic, 24% Viscose, 18% Ramie, 11% Cotton, 6% Polyester, 1% Nylon

Gauge: 35-37 sts in 4” using two plies on #4-5 Needle

25 grams = ±149 yds

My Color: 704

My Source: The Knit Stop, Indianapolis, IN

Retail price: $14.25

Stitch pattern: Diamanta by French Girl Knits

As soon as this yarn came in at my LYS, I had to have it! It is so pretty, and comes in a multitude of colors. If you like openwork, but don't like wool, this could be your ticket. Althought blocking wouldn't do you a bit of good, some pretty stitches on big needles look even prettier in this yarn. My model uses only a single ply, though the gauge on the band suggests two. I love it and will definitely use it again. And check out those French Girl Knits patterns, too. They're awesome!

Wake Up, Maggi

Maggi's Cotton

Maggi Knits: MK Collection

Fiber Content: 70% Cotton, 30% Rayon

50g = 93 yds,

Gauge: 5 sts. per in. on needle size US 8

My Color: 11

My Source: The Knit Stop, Indianapolis, IN

Retail price: $8.50

This is an interesting yarn. It is a slub yarn, which actually feels more rayon than it does cotton. I did my rendition of one of Maggi Jackson's famous tubes in the swatch. It would make a nice summer sweater.

John Linen

Euroflax Linen

Louet Sales Yarn

"Euroflax Sport Weight linen in 49 solid colors and 16 beautiful blends."

100% Wet Spun Linen

6 sts per inch on needles US 2-4
1300 yds/lb. Solid Colors: 100 gm Skeins (270 yds); 50 gm Skeins (135 yds); 1/2 lb Cones (650 yds); Blended Colors: 100 gm Skeins (270 yds); 1/2 lb Cones (650 yds)

My Color: Cedarwood 18-2464-7

My Source: The Knit Stop, Indianapolis, IN

Retail price for 100 gm hank: $20.95

If you've ever knit with linen yarn, you know that it can be like knitting with rope, in terms of the softness factor, but once washed and dryed in the dryer (Yes, I said, "dryed in the dryer"), it can be as soft as cotton. Well, I decided to forgoe the exfoliation treatment and washed and dryed the yarn before knitting with it. While this softened it some, it still wasn't as soft as I'd like. So, I washed and dryed it again after I knit the washcloth, which is what this is, by the way. I tried to do the one in the Knitter's Stash book, but it was much bigger than I wanted, so I just used the handy Barbara Walker's Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns and worked out the Dragon Scales pattern in the size I wanted. It is amazingly softer after its final wash and dry.

Cotton Viscose

Cotton Viscose

Garnstudio

54% Egyptian Cotton, 46% viscose

50g = 110m

Gauge: 23 sts x 30 rows per 4 in. on needle size 2.5-3.5mm

My Color: CV03 Rose

My Source: The Knit Stop, Indianapolis, IN

Retail price: $8.50

This was another nice one to use. The yarn is as beautiful in the ball as it is knit up. These pictures really can't capture it in all it's glory, but it is really, really pretty, and comes in some great colors. I definitely look forward to making a summer tank top with this one.

Karabella Aurora 8

Aurora 8

Karabella Yarns
100% Extrafine Merino Wool. "The best extrafine merino wool on the market. Very soft and springy, with excellent stitch definition. Comes in 95 gorgeous colors."
Gauge: 4.50 Sts/In. on Needle Size US 7
Yardage: 98

My Color: 885 Taupe

My Source: The Knit Stop, Indianapolis, IN

Retail Price: $8.35

This is one of my all time favorite yarns. It is soft and gooshy, like I like, but it has memory and bounces back beautifully from the gooshing. Cables just pop with this stuff, as you can tell by looking at the leaves, which stand out from the fabric of the swatch. It is truly a joy to use, and I've already made 2 sweaters with it, with more to come, I'm sure!

Claudia Handpaints Brushed Mohair

Kid Mohair-Brushed
Claudia Hand Painted Yarns
70% Mohair 30% Nylon
Gauge: 7.5-8 stitches = 1" on needle size US#6-7
50 gr = Approx. 490 yds.
My Color: Purple Dot
My Source: The Knit Stop, Indianapolis, IN
Retail price: $23.10

It took awhile for me to arrive at a stitch that this yarn wanted to be. I ended up crocheting it after a couple of knitted tries that didn't work out. Unless you want to use it as a carry along, or hold two strands of this together, crochet may be the best option.

Pomaire

Pomaire
Knitting Fever - Araucania
100% hand dyed pima cotton

154 yds per 100gm ball

5 sts per inch on US #7 needle

My Color: 9

My Source: The Knit Stop, Indianapolis, IN

Retail Price: $15.75

As I've said previously, I'm not a fan of cotton yarn, but this is yet another exception. Do I sense a trend? I don't know. But this was really nice to work with. It was soft and gooshy, like a good yarn should be. It did not split, as I had feared it might. The colors were gorgeous and it was fun to watch them change as I knit along.